Portable Power Station vs 12 Volt DIY Solar for a Van Conversion

Portable Power Station vs 12 Volt DIY Solar for a Van Conversion
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Welcome back to the channel ya kookz!
Today we are comparing the cost difference between a DIY solar setup and a portable power generator. Today there are many options for building a DIY 12-volt solar setup and many options for portable power stations. Portable power stations have come a long way and are now finally, in my mind, a viable option for your van conversion. Today we are reviewing the cost between a similar DIY 12 Volt Solar Power Station and a Portable Power Station.
I just wanted to make this video after I received the Anker 767 power station and was so impressed with its ability to charge fast, 2.4 hours via 1000W solar and 1.4 hours via 1440W AC power. In the past, these units took so long to charge they weren't a reliable option, in my opinion, but now with the ability to have up to 1000W solar input, these are now a contender for an easy, straightforward van conversion setup.
ANKER 767 POWER STATION
Use the link below to register and spin to win up to $1000 off!
LINK: ankerfast.club...
Tools and Parts
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Check out more van conversion tips and tricks www.vankookz.com/

[@Christian.Rodriguez]

Take it from someone who spent $3600 on an all in one system (ecoflow delta pro)... Build your own! This is in the context of depending on your power system full time. Yes the waranty is good but when things break (yes, WHEN, not it) you will be shipping it away for repair. That means you are out or power for however long that takes. Also something that very few people comment on is the lack or 12v output these things provide. On paper it seems okay but its just not adequate. Long story short, I am now building my own system and ditching the ecoflow unit.

[@Vankookz]

Thanks for this great insight. I have had friends have the same problem and had to send back their Goal Zeros and be stuck without power for weeks.

[@joeblow1942]

But batteries and mppt charge controllers can go bad too.

[@seanmalone7920]

what should i do if i don't have the knowledge to build my own . find someone who can build it in my camper trailer conversion or buy the generator

[@joeblow1942]

@@seanmalone7920 Lots of easy to follow how to videos on KZbin. You can even buy a box that already has the outlets (not enough though) and a built in inverter that will take lithium batteries up to 3000AH.

[@9everton5]

im sorry to break it to ya, but diy goes bad too, the price difference being really just around 500 bucks, ill take the plug n play any day. btw im on a bluetti ac200p for almost 2 years, zero problems, and if it happens, well there are power outages even in conventional homes....

[@warrenglen7636]

Need another battery to match the Anker as only one battery gives about 1200-1300 Watt-Hours. That adds another $400 - $500. The Anker is usually often on sale for $200 off. So your savings goes down from $900 to about $300.

[@Vankookz]

Yeah I totally agree. I was just trying to get the point across that building your own 12v system is easy. A lot of people buy these power stations for their rigs and they work great but they could just take the initiative and do it themselves. I think this Anker power station is an awesome unit however for it to be able to charge at 1000W and the 1440W input via AC is pretty incredible. It would be hard to achieve those parameters with a DIY system for the price of the Anker.

[@skunkedagain]

Totally misleading. You should have added the 2nd battery cost.

[@humbertocueva3904]

Was going to comment the same thing.

[@user-pw1bx3pj1x]

I did a fairly detailed analysis of a larger system comparing a brand name DIY vs. the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra 6kw battery/inverter combo. The Echoflow was roughly 20% less and provided more features like 220v (Should you need to do some wash or welding from your RV) . I would love to see you duplicate this as I have limited knowledge of the subject.

[@abdullahal-shimri3091]

I like to build my own because I can easily fix it if something breaks. You can get all the parts from your local hardware store.

[@Vankookz]

DIY or Die!

[@leonardolimon8371]

Nice

[@Vankookz]

Thanks ✌

[@michaeljuers574]

Plus, none of these power system manufacturers offers any repair possibilities after the warranty expires. I would never spend thousands of dollars on something with a potential life span of a year or two. I speak from experience. My Bluetti died several months after the warranty expired and there is no way to have it repaired.

[@Vankookz]

That is a very valid point and one I wish I had talked about for this video. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of them that's why I wanted to build and compare a simple basic 12-volt system and compare it to something that's $2000!

[@cooflypower]

I think you bought the old version machine, now the machine is very stable and can use more than 3 years in normal condition.

[@DaphneLowe]

Many of the EcoFlow and Bluetti power stations have 4 or 5 year warranties from the factory. Asurion offers a 4 year warranty on many of the power stations sold on Amazon. In a DIY system, there is no warranty, though some individual components, like batteries, may have one.

[@dwstoeckel4740]

Thanks for this

[@Vankookz]

Yeah for sure. Thank you!

[@dwstoeckel4740]

@@Vankookz love your channel, heard Matt Bolton talk about it during one of his live streams.. hope to build my own van , when I retire.. thanks for the info!

[@DaphneLowe]

Not an apples to apple comparison, the Anker is 2048Wh, equal to about 170 Ah. A more fair comparison would be to use a 200Ah battery in the DIY system which would increase the cost by $300. Or use a smaller power station, like the EcoFlow Max 1300 which costs $800 less than the Anker. Either way, the difference between DIY and a comparable power station is not $900.

[@Vankookz]

Yeah I get it. But when this unit has any issues it’s almost impossible to troubleshoot

[@EasyyokeFilms]

Correct. He also did not add the Cost of AC Charger which the power stations have built in already in case there is cloudy day and you need to charge your battery from AC. The cost difference can still buy an extra battery though and when the battery in your portable power station comes to the end of its life, I am not sure the companies offers battery swap. So DIY still wins for me anyways

[@Jason-np8qc]

gets less clear with the Vtoman 1500 with extra battery (3000 watts total) for around 2 grand. Lasts 10 years, no wiring, and accepts 1500 watts charging AC

[@StevenDavisPhoto]

yeah, same thing i was thinking.

[@StevenDavisPhoto]

I'm building my first system. I think I'm just gonna go the PPS route. It's not really fair to compare these 2 system though. Your PPS there has about 2 of those batteries worth, so add another $500 to that $1100.

[@Vankookz]

Yes very true. I was just wanting to show the ease of making your own.

[@worstchannelever5232]

Great video for people on a budget, plus if the battery fails on the Anker power station be a bitch to change it 😖

[@Vankookz]

Yeah I don't even want to think about getting in there and doing that! 😱😱😱

[@stimulatemyexistence5669]

If you get ecoflow delta, 10 year warranty i believe or 5.. which is insane and will pay for itself!

[@SLORTA5]

Perhaps you needed to add the shore power capability to your self-built system as that is one feature that is lacking in your comparison.

[@AndyKlevorn]

How would you power the 12V stuff from the Anker? A cigarette lighter adapter to a positive and negative bus bar? Probably would be water pump and lights only. Fridge and everything else can run 110.

[@Vankookz]

Yeah a cig adaptor. Strip the cables and hook them up to a 12v fuse panel or bus bar like you said. I would go with a fuse panel.

[@Van-life-4-Jesus]

You can wire it right into your solar and still have outlets throughout your van

[@barntt]

Rule #1 Nothing is EASY! Safety FIRST! Hey these things HAVE caused fires. ALL of the POS connections must be covered or insulated. Shouldn't the fuse be connected within 7 inches of the POS battery connection at the battery and come before the switch for your switched loads? That way you remove the switched loads if you have to replace the fuse. And any unswitched loads can come off a separate POS busbar connected to the load side of the battery fuse to provide the MOST protection from a fire in the event SHIT happens. I believe the ABYC have rules about this for fire safety on boats which would be a standard for all DC systems to strive for.

[@ricmcguire8135]

Get Video Kevin! I built out my van a little over 2 years ago. Watching some of your AWESOME video's was a HUGE help. I'd like to ask you a question. I want to buy a portable power station (Delta Max, etc.) for home back up power. But, instead of buying additional solar panels, I would like to charge the power station from my existing solar panels on the roof of my van (2 Renogy rigid 100w panels). Currently, my 2 panels run (in parallel) down to my CTEK250SE MPPT controller, then down to my 2 Battle Born 100Ah batteries. The solar connector on the Delta Max is an XT-60 plug which typically runs to 2 M4 type connectors that connect directly to solar panels. I am thinking that I can daisy chain the Ecoflow off my 2nd battery with o-ring connectors on the battery side and m4 connectors on the power station side then into the XT-60 adapter into the power station? Other option would be o-ring connectors off the CTEK controller to M4 connectors to the Delta Max. But I don't really think I need to involve the MPPT controller? This is something that others may want to do as well so it might be worth mentioning in one of your upcoming excellent video's. Anyway, any help/advice is much appreciated! Thanks!!

[@Vankookz]

I would personally use the MPPT directly into the Delta Max. What I did in my van to charge these units is I added another charge controller with a modular array that I can send the power wither into my Battery bank or into a portable power stating. Adding a MPPT is fairly inexpensive and you can wire them in parallel. Unfortunately modular solar panels are not. That way when your battle born batteries are full the other charge controller can send the additional power soley into your power station. I think either way is a great option without haveing to buy another MPPT but if you did add another MPPT you could always expaned a larger modular solar array. More on this will be coming soon. It will also take a long time to charge that unit off of only 200 Watts.

[@ricmcguire8135]

@@Vankookz Thanks!!

[@captainplatypus4328]

What’s the lifespan on the station?

[@Vankookz]

I’ve read these units can last up to 10+ years

[@lamasteve6905]

Your cost is off 100ah $275-2000 watt inverter ? 129, controller $100 your over costing the breakdown ! 200 watt solar panels 200 bucks each ! All in one stuff is all over priced ! Build you own 700 bucks will get you a system !

[@Vankookz]

I agree! But that’s what all this stuff actually cost I could have definitely gone cheaper

[@lamasteve6905]

@@Vankookz Soon 100ah Lithium Battery will be $100 bucks ! Controllers can be 20 bucks 2000 watt inverters are 130 bucks so the price for do it yourself is less than half ! It's a great time to configure systems !

[@SuperBlobsterMan]

Powerstations are more bang for the buck. They have really dropped in price. Shopping around, for about $1,000 powerstation I can get what would cost me $1500 in similar RATED components + wiring. These powerstations have high charging ampacity, that is more expensive for a DIY. The downside to them is the inability to replace a single faulty component and the inability to add 3rd party battery expansion. The powerstation that allows for connection to 12V lifep04 as a way to expand the capacity would be the ultimate design. The biggest advantage powerstations have is that they can serve multiple use functions also and are not permanently attached to the van. All in all, I would say a more casual camper should just go with a powerstation. Someone that wants to stay off grid for long periods should do their own build with more capacity.

[@Vankookz]

This is great! I agree with all of this.

[@klatlap]

There are ways to add additional batteries to these, not the extra units they sell but you can add capacity by adding the lithium battery in to the mix, you can charge the unit from a battery then recharge the battery with solar when the sun is out or if you have access to ac power.

[@SuperBlobsterMan]

@@klatlap yes but now you essentially bought 2 MPPT solar chargers and 2 converters. At that point it would be cheaper to buy a inverter and 1 more battery than to buy a powerstation. But if the power station could charge the battery than it would be the perfect design and make it cheap to expand a small powerstation. But the method you describe is something I do. It is actually beneficial to have 2 ways to charge from solar also because expanding solar can have issues when you only have one solar charger. I have 2 rooftop panels but also have a 2 flexible panels that I put out on sunny days. 600W total and I can run my AC unit for the hottest part of the day.

[@OsalenDavidson]

I bring you blessings from my LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO Is Coming Again To Judge the living and the dead hoping you believe In HIM Amen.

[@bisoncardinals4450]

Amen Repent and believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST The only name been given to man which can save! The kingdom of God is at hand! Glory be to the Father !!!!

[@NenadSapungin]

Great job on this! Super interesting stuff. I learned a lot! New sub👍🏼out here supporting smaller channels like mine!

[@justinlinnane8043]

The Anker has around160AH lithium battery so is more powerful than your system !! compare like for like if you're doing a comparison. also the Anker is movable from place to place and vehicle to vehicle so essentially you have a full power system ready for any vehicle you're using and as a house back up system too so much more adaptable than a fixed system . Try to be more prepared next time . this was a poor compariosn video

[@cooflypower]

Agree, actually the industry product will have a lot of safety protection, but for DIY product can't have any protection equipments. But if you are engineer you can repair it yourself.

[@Vankookz]

Yeah, this is all true. This video is more aimed at how simple a DIY system can be. I've lived van life for 7 years now, and many of the people I meet on the road have these power stations, and they fail and can't do anything about it. So they have to get rid of them, which ends up being way more expensive than a basic 12 Volt DIY system. I never know what I'll get from the peanut gallery when I make these videos. . The Anker is pretty impressive; however, with 1000W input via solar and 1440 via AC, it would be hard to replicate this system diy for that price. But this DIY system can easily be fixed whereas the anker can't.

[@justinlinnane8043]

@@Vankookz true but the Anker does has a pretty good five year warranty for peace of mind. I have it in my rv and also in the work van , and have taken it to wild off grid place's . this adaptability and power is pretty hard to beat